[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 18, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5504-S5505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PUBLIC SAFETY MEDAL OF VALOR ACT

  Mr. HATCH. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the 
consideration of calendar No. 95, S. 39.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 39) to provide a national medal for public 
     safety officers who act with extraordinary valor above and 
     beyond the call of duty, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LEAHY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. LEAHY. I commend, as a cosponsor, Senator Stevens and the others 
who worked so hard on this.
  Mr. HATCH. I feel exactly the same way.
  I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and 
passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any 
statements relating to the bill be printed at the appropriate place in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 39) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 39

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be referred to as the 
     ``Public Safety Medal of Valor Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Authorization of Medal of Valor.
Sec. 3. Medal of Valor Review Board.
Sec. 4. Board personnel matters.
Sec. 5. National medal office.
Sec. 6. Definitions.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 8. Conforming repeal.
Sec. 9. Consultation requirement.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MEDAL OF VALOR.

       The President may award, and present in the name of 
     Congress, a Medal of Valor of appropriate design, with 
     ribbons and appurtenances, to a public safety officer who is 
     cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the 
     Medal of Valor Review Board, for extraordinary valor above 
     and beyond the call of duty. The Public Safety Medal of Valor 
     is the highest national award for valor by a public safety 
     officer.

     SEC. 3. MEDAL OF VALOR REVIEW BOARD.

       (a) Establishment of Board.--There is hereby established a 
     Medal of Valor Review Board (hereafter in this Act referred 
     to as the ``Board''), which shall be composed of 11 members 
     appointed in accordance with subsection (b), and shall 
     conduct its business in accordance with this Act.
       (b) Membership.--
       (1) Members.--The members of the Board shall be individuals 
     with knowledge or expertise, whether by experience or 
     training, in the field of public safety, of which--
       (A) two shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of the 
     Senate;
       (B) two shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
     Senate;
       (C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (D) two shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
     House of Representatives; and
       (E) three shall be appointed by the President, including 
     one with experience in firefighting, one with experience in 
     law enforcement, and one with experience in emergency 
     services.
       (2) Term.--The term of a Board member shall be 4 years.
       (3) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the Board 
     shall not affect the powers of the Board and shall be filled 
     in the same manner as the original appointment.
       (4) Operation of the board.--
       (A) Meetings.--The Board shall meet at the call of the 
     Chairman, who shall be elected by the Board, and shall meet 
     not less than twice each year. The initial meeting of the 
     Board shall be conducted not later than 90 days after the 
     appointment of the last member of the Board.
       (B) Voting and rules.--A majority of the members shall 
     constitute a quorum to conduct business, but the Board may 
     establish a lesser quorum for conducting hearings scheduled 
     by the Board. The Board may establish by majority vote any 
     other rules for the conduct of the Board's business, if such 
     rules are not inconsistent with this Act or other applicable 
     law.
       (c) Duties.--The Board shall select candidates as 
     recipients of the Medal of Valor from among applications 
     received by the National Medal Office. Not more than once 
     each year, the Board shall present to the Attorney General 
     the name or names of persons it recommends as Medal of Valor 
     recipients. In a given year, the Board is not required to 
     select any recipients, but is limited to a maximum number of 
     10 recipients. The Attorney General may in extraordinary 
     cases increase the number of recipients in a given year. The 
     Board shall set an annual timetable for fulfilling its duties 
     under this Act.
       (d) Hearings.--
       (1) In general.--The Board may hold such hearings, sit and 
     act at such times and places, administer such oaths, take 
     such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Board 
     considers advisable to carry out its duties.
       (2) Witness expenses.--Witnesses requested to appear before 
     the Board may be paid the same fees as are paid to witnesses 
     under section 1821 of title 28, United States Code. The per 
     diem and mileage allowances for witnesses shall be paid from 
     funds appropriated to the Board.
       (e) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Board may 
     secure directly from any Federal department or agency such 
     information as the Board considers necessary to carry out its 
     duties. Upon the request of the Board, the head of such 
     department or agency may furnish such information to the 
     Board.
       (f) Information To Be Kept Confidential.--The Board shall 
     not disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing 
     law enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by law 
     to be kept confidential.

     SEC. 4. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.

       (a) Compensation of Board Members.--
       (1) Non-government.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
     each member of the Board shall be compensated at a rate equal 
     to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
     prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under 
     section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day 
     (including travel time) during which such member is engaged 
     in the performance of the duties of the Board.
       (2) Government.--All members of the Board who serve as 
     officers or employees of the United States, a State, or local 
     government, shall serve without compensation in addition to 
     that received for those services.
       (b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Board shall be 
     allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
     subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 
     under subchapter 1 of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
     Code, while away from their homes or regular places of 
     business in the performance of service for the Board.

     SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDAL OFFICE.

       There is established within the Department of Justice a 
     national medal office. The office shall generally support the 
     Board and shall, with the concurrence of the Board, establish 
     criteria and procedures for the submission of recommendations 
     of nominees for the Medal of Valor.

     SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

       For purposes of this Act--
       (1) the term ``public safety officer'' means a person 
     serving a public agency, with or without compensation, as a 
     firefighter, law enforcement officer (including a corrections 
     or court officer or a civil defense officer), or emergency 
     services officer, as defined by the Attorney General in 
     implementing this Act; and
       (2) the term ``State'' means each of the several States of 
     the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
     of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and 
     the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney 
     General such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

     SEC. 8. CONFORMING REPEAL.

       Section 15 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act 
     of 1974 is repealed.

[[Page S5505]]

     SEC. 9. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.

       The Attorney General shall consult with the Institute of 
     Heraldry within the Department of Defense regarding the 
     design and artistry of the Medal of Valor. The Attorney 
     General shall also consider suggestions received by the 
     Department of Justice regarding the design of the medal, 
     including those made by persons not employed by the 
     Department.

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